In Barangay Luz: No patients released yet; re-swabbing continues

CEBU, Philippines —  No patient was released from the isolation center in Barangay Luz, Cebu City yesterday, contrary to reports that about 100 individuals who earlier tested positive of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19 can already move out of the facility.

About 69 of them, however, have already been re-swabbed to determine if they are already fit for release.

“Nahuman na mig re-swab kaming first batch, pero basin magpaabot pa mig mga usa ka semana daw anha pa namo mahibaw-an ang resulta,” said one of the patients re-tested.

Around 59 others will be re-tested, most likely in the middle of the month, as the last patient added was just last May 1.

"Ila mang ibalik ug count sa sugod kung naay madungag, so madugay-dugay pa jud to sila sa pikas," said another patient.

This is contrary to reports made earlier (not in this paper) that Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas Jr., during the City Council’s session last Wednesday, reportedly said that 100 asymptomatic patients at the barangay isolation center were due for release after they were found to be negative already of the deadly virus.

That announcement has caused worry to patients and their families, mostly from Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz.

The barangay’s spokesperson, Eldebrian Arañez, has clarified that from the first batch of patients nobody has been scheduled for release.

“Dili na tinuod, we can confirm diri sa barangay wala mi news or info coming from the city health and Department of Health (DOH) na naa gi-release na 100. So, that report – dili gyud na tinuod,” said Arañez.

Arañez said that it was just yesterday when the first batch have undergone the first re-swabbing.

As required by DOH, there should be two tests conducted on those who have undergone the 14-day quarantine and they should test negative in both.

“First test pa ni after sa ilang 14 days. Kung mag-negative, i-swab nasab balik.  Tapos, kung ma-confirm na sa two negative tests, kay dili pa gyud na sila ipa-uli diretso.  I-transfer pa na sila sa transition rooms for another 14 days,” said Arañez.

He added this protocol is based from the CHO and the doctors who are managing the patients, to make sure that they are guaranteed as COVID-free when released back to their homes.

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said that the re-swabbing tests are already scheduled for the patients in the isolation center, amidst complaints about the delay of the re-swabbing.

“We have to consider atong manpower because we are spread out thinly na gyud. Naa na sa Labangon and Mambaling, and then wala diay ma-counter. Supposedly ang ideal ana kay is after 7-8 days.  For all we know naa na nila ang virus long before nisulod sila or na-test sila so ni-lapse na,” said Garganera.

Some of the patients and their families, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said that they want to be out of the isolation center after the mandatory 14-day quarantine period as they have already been “overstaying” there, but only with the assurance that they are already COVID-free and their sitio is already safe for them to go home to.

Earlier, the patients admitted at the Cebu City Memorial Medical Center and the first known patient of Sitio Zapatera who was confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center were all brought to the barangay isolation center after being declared COVID-free already, saying the sitio they come from are not yet safe.

Other residents of the barangay noted that they do not know of any disinfection made by the City government nor that of the Department of Health.

Barangay Luz has close to 200 COVID-19 positive cases, mostly of which are asymptomatic.

While waiting for the result of the re-test, all are hoping that they will be negative of such disease already and be back to their families and work, away from discrimination.  GAN (FREEMAN)